The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is looking into trade collaborations with the Government of Bhutan, to support the logistics avenues for future linkages with Bhutan.

A business development meeting was recently held between the Northeast Frontier Railway’s (NFR’s) Alipurduar division and delegations from the Government of Bhutan in this regard.

The delegations from Bhutan visited the Hasimara railway station. An infrastructure is being strategically developed by N. F. Railway for enabling trade with Bhutan. A plan to build a siding along with a warehouse in collaborations with the Central Warehousing Corporation is underway to promote logistic trade with Bhutan. In fact, Indian Railways has already delivered its first consignment of goods to Bhutan through a multi-modal route consisting of 75 utility vehicles.

The vehicles were transported from Chennai to Hasimara railway station by New Modified Goods (NMG) rake, a rake specially designed to transport light motor vehicles (LMV), that reached Alipurduar division on October 28, 2022.

Further the consignment was taken to Bhutan by roadways. The delegation intends to visit Changrabandha station in the near future. Discussion related to movement of automobiles, cement, stone commodities etc and augmenting people to people connection and tourism development were also held.

Alipurduar division relayed to the delegates of Bhutan Government, the vision of railways as the prime eco-friendly mode of transportation for goods logistics.

Moreover, it has been viewed as a sustainable option for mass movement in the country and in South-East Asia.

Railway explained to the delegates of Bhutan Government the cost competitiveness and strategic abilities to transport goods in bulk and expeditiously to markets across India and Bhutan.

Indian Railways already has new projects for crossborder linkages by laying a broad - gauge railway track from Kokrajhar in India to Gelephu in Bhutan.

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